Ballistics experts will examine four guns - including an AK-47 assault rifle similar to those used in deadly terror attacks - handed in at Tyneside police stations.

The public was asked to surrender their firearms to officers late last year as part of a national gun amnesty.

Northumbria Police gave people the opportunity to bring any firearms or ammunition they might possess to police stations across the force area as part of the national firearms surrender campaign, Operation Aztec.

Under the initiative anyone who handed in a weapon did not face prosecution for possession.

During the two-week operation in November, a staggering 280 weapons were given-up.

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It was being kept in a home along with two equally fearsome machine guns, all of which had not been fully deactivated and could have fired fatal rounds.

Chief Insp Dave Gould said: “The AK-47 is the weapon of choice for terrorism and it had not been fully deactivated. I’m really pleased they have been handed in.

“Had they ended up in the wrong hands they would have been deadly weapons. Every gun handed in potentially saves a life.”

Other weapons handed in during the surrender period included a shotgun disguised as a walking stick, guns from the First and Second World Wars, an 1890 revolver and a small number of guns which had not been correctly deactivated.